Improvement in telegraph apparatus



J. E: SELDEN.

Printing Telegraph.

No. 88,085.- I Patented March 2331869,

m inesses:

N. PETERS. Phommhagnphm. Washington D. c

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

J. E. SELDEN, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

' IMPROVEMENT IN TELEGRAPH APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 88,085, dated March 23, 1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN E. SELDEN, telegraph-operator, of the city and county of Albany, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraph Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

I will first describe what I consider the best means of carrying out my invention, and will afterward designate the points which I believe'to be new.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is the device by the aid of which the sender communicates a stronger current through the wire to operate the devices which produce the impression. Fig. 2 is the device by which the adjustment of the type-wheel is operated, this being substantially old 5 and Fig. 3 is the device at the receiving-office, by which the impressing mechanism is held insensible to the weak currents, and is operated only by the strong currents.

The figures represent the novel parts, with so much of the ordinary parts as is necessary to understand their relation thereto.

Similar letters otreference indicate like parts in all the figures.

Referring to Fig. 1, A is the board or base of the instrument. B represents one of the posts which support the lever G by means of the delicate pivot c. D is a spring which tends to tilt the lever O in the direction indicated by the arrow, and G is a thumb-plate, through which the lever receives an opposite motion from the operator at will. E is a connection from the lever 0, leading to the line. (Not represented.) It is made elastic, as usual, to maintain the connection, while the lever is rocked or tilted in either position. F and H are thumb-screws which, as the lever is tilted in one position or the other, form a connection with the whole or a portion of the battery. G is a brass block connected to a portion of the battery, and adapted to communicate the current therefrom to the lever G, and consequently to the line-connection E, whenever this end of the lever O is depressed. The screw F does not touch directly upon the block G, but, on the contrary, connects with it indirectly by touching the metallic spring 9, which is firmly fixed in the block G. Whenever the lever C is left untouched the spring D tilts the lever 0, so as to hold the screw F in contact with the spring 9, and thus to maintain a connection between the block G, and the portion of the battery connected thereto, and the line-wire. I is a brass block, having a spring, 1', adapted to connect with the linewire E through the screw H, whenever the thumb-piece O is depressed and the lever O is correspondingly tilted. The screws F and H require to be set with care, so as to touch'the springs withsuch force and in such manner that in tilting the lever one maintains the connection until the other is connected. In other words, in tilting the lever G in opposite directions any number of times, there are no periods in which the line-wire E is out of connection with both blocks G and I. On the contrary, there is a period (which may be very brief) in which both screws F and H are in connection with their respective blocks, through the medium of their spring-connections 9 and i.

Now, supposin g the battery to consist of three cups, I connect one of the cups with the block G, and when the lever (J is left untouchedin other words, when it stands in its usual position, as represented in Fig. 1-the current from the one cup passes through the wire G a to the block G, thence through the spring-connection g, screw F, and lever C, to the connection E, and thence through the line-wire to the distant point to which it is desired to communicate. The ordinary arrangementsinterposed in the communication will intermit this current and induce .the ordinary action, so that the type-wheel will be turned to the proper extent at the other end of the line at the will of the operator at this end. As the lever G and its connections ordinarily stand as shown in Fig. it will be understood that the comn1 unication is complete through this portion of the instrument, and, in short, that the action of telegraphin g by the ordinary apparatus (not represented) proceeds as usual under ordinary conditions, using only the force, however, due to one cup.

When the lever O is tilted, by depressing the th u mb-piece 0, th e communication through the screw F is cut off, and a communication through the screw H is established, thus pass ing over the line a stronger current, due to the use of three cups instead of one. In other wo'rds, a communication is thus established over the line, sending a strong current through the line-wire E.

Referring to Fig. 3, J is a softiron magnet, inelosed by a helix, receiving the current from the main line, and consequently becoming magnetized with greater or less force, according to the force of the current received. M is the type-wheel lever, mounted and arranged in the ordinary manner, to communicate motion by its reciprocations to the type-wheel. This part of the apparatus, being well known, need not be described, further than to say that any of the ordinary modifications of the apparatus may be employed, care being taken to mount the armature M very close to the magnet J, and to make the spring M very fine and delicate. In other words, I adjust this lever so that it may be operated by a very weak current. .It follows that the operations of the ordinary manner.

N is a lever correspondingly mounted, and adapted to be operated by the same magnet,

J, but holding its armature N at a greater distance from the magnet J, and it may be held.

up by a stronger spring, N In other words, this lever N is adapted to be insensible to the slight current which is received from the one cup, and which operates the lever M, but it is so adjusted that its armature N will be attracted instantly when the strong current is received, which is due to the whole battery of three cups. The rocking of this lever N presses up the paper against the type-wheel and receives the impression. The mechanism by which this is effected may be of any ordinary kind.

Although I have described the armature M stood that these armatures may be made to simply connect and disconnect local batteries to effect these resultsthat is to say, each motion of the armature M may connect a local battery, which local battery may work the 'typewheel, and each motion of the armature N may connect a local battery, which local battery shall work the printing-lever. The mode of connecting and disconnecting local batteries by a delicate motion of a lever or armature is too well known to require description. 1 prefer usually to operate in that manner.

I have represented in Fig. 2 the means which I prefer to employ in order to make and break the connection to operate the type-wheel. They have been before known and do not require a minute description.

In operating my apparatus it is necessary simply to turn the hand-wheel K, which may be plainly lettered, as represented, until the proper letter comes under the index L; then to touch the thumb-piece U then turn the wheel K again until the next letter which it is desired to send comes under the index L, and then again touch the thumb-piece. At each touch of the thumb-piece a stronger current is sent through the line, which, through the agency of the armature N and its connections, takes the impression from the type-wheel, the type-wheel having been previously turned into the proper position by the ordinary mechanism. (Not represented.)

I propose to employ similar apparatus at each end, and the receiving portion of the mechanism being entirely self-acting, or rather being entirely actuated by currents received from the other end of the line, it is entirely immaterial whether the instruments are attended or not during the reception of messages. The messages being received on the strips of paper, which it will be understood are fed forward by the mechanism at each operation, it follows that it long neglected the paper will be irregularly coiled upon the floor, or in any suitable receiving-box, and may be read at leisure and torn off, or allowed to remain thus connected as long as desired.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

The connections 9 and 2', or their equivalents, adapted to maintain the connection through one end of the lever G, and thus transmit the weak current to work the typewheel until the connection at the other end is established, so as to transmit the strong current to make the impression, all substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto setmy name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J. E. SELDEN.

Witnesses W. G. DEY, O. G. LIVINGS. 

